There is an opportunity for Canada’s agricultural sector to be at the forefront of climate change mitigation. This research team is currently developing a profit mapping and soil organic carbon accounting software that will assist farmers in better understanding the productivity and management of their agricultural operations. Specifically, these advancements will identify field areas that may be transformed to optimize carbon sinks, predict and detect agricultural areas with potential for high crop production, as well as assist governments with crucial information required to manage and sustain agricultural lands.

What is the challenge?

Data and tools are not advanced enough to guide and encourage farmers to make practice changes to optimizing their operations for enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) storage or for government agencies to design robust programs and incentives that motivate this transition. This research will develop a profit mapping and SOC accounting software that will identify areas that could be transformed to optimize carbon sinks.

Addressing the problem:

The software will be developed through robust geospatial modelling and in-field case studies that will address the knowledge transfer gap.

Project Impact:

The tool will benefit farm profitability by developing new decision-aids for predicting and detecting agricultural areas with a high potential for crop production, and Government agencies and corporations by providing critically needed baseline information required to support responsible decision-making for sustainably managing agricultural land.

Key message for decision makers:

A profit mapping and soil organic carbon accounting software will identify areas that can be transformed to optimize carbon sinks, leading to increased productivity and management efficiency of their agricultural operations.

Collaborators and students:

Dr. Madhur Anand (Co-Investigator), Dr. Aaron Berg (Co-Investigator), Dr. Evan Fraser (Co-Investigator), Dr. Adam Gillespie (Co-Investigator), Dr. Ahmed Laamrani (Co-Investigator), Dr. Eric Nost (Co-Investigator), Dr. Clarence Swanton (Co-Investigator), Dr. Paul Voroney (Co-investigator), Dr. Wanhong Yang (Co-Investigator